The world is a book, and those who never travel read only one page.
~ Saint Augustine
Blustery Brighton
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - Having spent several days in London, I decided to get out of the city for an overnighter. I hopped on the train and in an hour after passing through the wonderful English countryside I arrived to Brighton, a town of over 500,000 population, and a southern seaside resort town on the English Channel. I stepped off the train and made my way to my hotel in a cold and blustery wind that ripped through the streets. My hotel that sat across the street from the beach and just a block from Brighton Pier, a long wooden structure that reached outward, as if in an effort to touch the shore of France across the channel. The Brighton Pier was first opened in 1899. In the evening, I walked through town in search of dinner which ended up being a carry out pizza in box that I ate as I wandered through town and back to the pier. By the time I arrived back to the pier, the sun was setting and lights on the pier had come on, creating the feel of a carnival amusement park. Young, old, and families all were arriving to ride the carrousel, play the arcades, watch the sun set in the distance. The pier had come to life since I had passed it earlier.
In the Georgian era, Brighton was a fashionable seaside resort and with the arrival of the railroad the cities popularity increased. As of 2016 there have been over 4 million visitors.
I didn’t have a lot of time to explore the town, as I was only there a little over one day, but I did walk along the beach. The beach was backed by arcades and Regency era buildings that were constructed in the early 19th century during the when George IV was Prince Regent. It was cold and blustery, with winds whipping off the channel and I chose the next day to walk through town, away from the shore. There was a wonderful section of row houses that ran to the ocean that captivated me.
As I was walking I notice domes and minarets of a building reaching toward the sky. They appeared like something you might have seen in India. The palace was built in Indo-Saracenic style typical of India in the 19th century. Constuction began in the 1787 as a royal residence for George, Prince of Wales, and Prince Regent. - The Royal Palace and a former royal residence is surrounded by the Royal Pavillion Gardens which are maintained as an organic garden with a wide variety of plants and is said to be the only fully restored Regency garden in the UK. It was a lovely setting. The Royal Pavilion Palace is now used as a museum, art exhibition center and event center.
I raced against the blustery winds, through Brighton to catch my train back to London. Sitting on the train and watching out the window, as the train raced through the lovely English countryside, I thought to myself that this was a really nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of London, with the exception of one hungry seagull, but that is a story for another day. |
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